(Headline USA) Republican delegates in North Carolina voted Saturday at their annual convention to censure Thom Tillis, the state’s senior U.S. senator, for backing sodomite marriages, being soft on illegal immigration and supporting red flag laws.
As Sen. Tillis has gained influence in Congress for being a RINO, his caving on social issues has cost him the support of many state Republicans.
Several delegates in Greensboro criticized Tillis, for his work last year on the Respect For Marriage Act, which enshrined protections for sodomite marriages in federal law.
Both the state and national GOP platforms oppose sodomite marriage. But Tillis, who had opposed it earlier in his political career, was among the early supporters of the law who lobbied his GOP colleagues in Congress to vote in favor of it.
Others criticized him for challenging President Donald Trump‘s immigration policies.
Still others lambasted Tillis for supporting a measure that provided funds for red flag laws.
The North Carolina senator was also slammed for opposing Trump’s plan to use military construction dollars to build a wall along the nation’s southern border.
While the vote Saturday, which took place behind closed doors, cannot remove Tillis from office, supporters said they hope it sends a firm message of dissatisfaction.
A two-thirds majority of the state party’s 1,801 voting delegates was needed for the resolution to pass, party spokesperson Jeff Moore said.
“We need people who are unwavering in their support for conservative ideals,” said Jim Forster, an 81-year-old delegate from Guilford. “His recent actions don’t reflect the party’s shift to the right — in fact, they’re moving in the exact wrong direction.”
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
